1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to fishing lures. More particularly, this invention relates to fishing lures with hooks which are automatically set. Most particularly, this invention relates to hooks which are automatically set when a fish strikes the fishing lure and which hooks may be spring-loaded for movement in a rotatable direction when the hooks are set and/or which hooks are movable in a translatable direction relative to the body of the fishing lure when the hooks are set.
2. Prior Art
Fishing lures are known that have hooks which may be moved in accordance with the action of springs.
However, of known fishing hooks, none are set in a manner which ensures that the hook is set without intervention of the angler/fisherman. In addition, triggered hooks are not known in the art. Still further, such conventional fishing lures which operate with springs are typically complicated to operate and/or difficult to use.
Examples of known fishing lures include U.S. Pat. No. 3,492,753 to Richard; U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,830 to Smith; U.S. Pat. No. 3,081,572 to Tomsello; U.S. Pat. No. 2,439,391 to Jobson; U.S. Pat. No. 1,639,766 to Fisher; U.S. Pat. No. 2,641,861 to Doran; U.S. Pat. No. 2,576,532 to Nudell; U.S. Pat. No. 2,079,335 to Pflueger; U.S. Pat. No. 1,694,195 to Watts; U.S. Pat. No. 2,002,135 to Barton; U.S. Pat. No. 2,357,472 to Jenkins; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,794,287 to Mancusi, Jr.
Most of the cited prior art discusses the use of springs in lures. In Fisher, '766, the spring withdraws hooks. It does not set or rotate hooks. Jenkins, '472 has a spring which doesn't set hooks, but does move a segment back and forth to change direction as lure moves through water The Pflueger patent '335 has a body rotated by propeller. The spring holds this together and allows the lure to be disassembled to remove weeds.
In Watts, '195, the spring doesn't set the hook, it turns a vane or propellar as lure is jerked to change the direction. In Barton, 135 the springs allow a battery to float back and forth to allow power sequentially to a light. It also serves to secure the light within a sleeve of the lure.
Jobson, 391 uses a spring to retract the hook into the lure. Pulling the cam pushes the hooks out but doesn't twist. The springs (spring 1) moves cam back and (spring 2) moves set of hooks back into lure.
Doran, '861 is the most complicated. The spring moves a plunger which moves the hook out. Hooks are hidden in lure. A locking device activates this. The locking device must be hit by fish, not by tension on the line. The movement of the lure does not activate it and it does not twist one part relative to the other. The hooks spring out, but not radially around the axis, but instead spring perpendicular to the axis. The spring does activate the hook, but there must still be some action to set the hook. The same can be said about Tomsello, '572 where the spring moves the hook out of the body. The action doesn't make hooking, it is just weedless so that it may be set. There is no readily changeable hook and no special hook setting features.
Nudell, '532 has a spring which retracts hooks into the lure and doesn't move the hooks to set the hook. This is also true of Smith, '830--where a spring moves hooks back into body of lure and Richard '753 where the spring pushes the hook back into lure. Mancusi, '287 also uses a spring which doesn't move a hook. The spring moves a piston to lengthen the body causing it to turn while it is pulled.
The prior art serves many useful functions, including providing lures which are less likely to snag and move through the water to attract fish. However, the prior art does not effectively use the turning of lure relative to the striking fish's pull on the line to set the hooks.
3. General Discussion of the Invention
The invention can be generally described as fishing lure for receiving hooks comprising:
1. A first section; PA1 2. A second section; PA1 3. A rotating means between the first section and second section for moving the first section relative to the section; PA1 4. A first gripping means (such as a hook) on the first section; PA1 5. A second gripping means (such as a hook) on the second section so that the twisting of the first section relative to the second section results in the movement of the two gripping means against one another.
The invention may further be described as including a trigger means for releasably holding and releasing the action of the rotating means.
The invention is further described wherein the rotating means further comprises a rotating means for turning one section relative to the axis of the second section (make sure to provide a basis for axis in the first claim) and wherein the rotating means is powered by a spring. When the first means is rotated relative to the second section a load is put on the rotating means. There may be an alignment means to indicate to the user when the first section is aligned with second section to power the rotating means. A spring may put tension on both a front portion with a hook and a rear portion with a hook relative to one another when the spring is released.
Typically, the trigger is on the heavier side so that the lighter side does not have sufficient momentum to trigger the release of the rotating means.
The lure rotating means further comprises a locking means for releasably locking the rotating means when tension is applied to the rotating means and, in particular, locking the rotating means until a fish hits the lure and then releasing the rotating means. A trigger mechanism is present for releasing the energy in the rotating means. Tension on the line releases the trigger which in turn releases the energy in the rotating means in the preferred embodiments.